Summary

The Tracking Mammals Partnership (TMP) is a collaborative
initiative, involving 24 organisations with a variety of interests
in mammals. It aims to improve the quality, quantity and
dissemination of information on the status of mammal species
in UK. Government at all levels, and many sectors of the
mammal community, require good quality data to guide conservation
and wildlife management policy. Joint working within the
Partnership ensures a co-ordinated approach - the whole being
greater than the sum of the parts.

The TMP aims to standardise survey design, assess where
information is missing, exchange data and expertise, share best
practice and share information on new technology and data
collected. Organisations within the TMP also cooperate to
recruit, train and support the network of volunteers who carry out
the surveys.

The first major report shows that the TMP is currently
assessing population change for 34 mammals (including bats),
over half of our 65 land mammal species (and sub-species) in
the UK. Ten natives have shown increases since the mid 1990s, otter
and roe deer by more than half, four appear to have stable
populations, and three have shown declines (water voles by
more than 50%). For eight native species more years
of study are needed before it is possible to assess
population change reliably. Six non-natives have increasing
populations, two show no change, and one is declining. Plans
are underway to introduce surveillance schemes for the remaining
mammal species over the next few years.

The TMP has a programme of 17 surveillance schemes - nine
multi-species schemes in the wider countryside, four schemes
collecting data on urban mammal populations and four schemes
dedicated to a single species. The majority of schemes engage
volunteers, and in some cases those who work in the countryside
help to collect the data. Over 14,000 volunteers are currently
taking part in mammal monitoring every year, carrying out over
140,000 hours of survey work, covering more than 16,500 survey
sites across the UK, collecting the valuable data. Analysis then
provides the population trends.

The estimated value of the time given by volunteers is in the
region of £4.5 million a year, considerably more than the estimated
£500,000 currently spent on running the surveys by Government and
Non-Government Organisations in the TMP, and shows the vital
contribution the volunteers make to the success of the monitoring
programme.

The wide range of species covered by the TMP includes those of
conservation concern, such as common dormouse, water vole, greater
horseshoe bat and lesser horseshoe bat, as well as those that are
considered a problem, such as grey squirrel, mink and muntjac. The
data collected are essential to make informed decisions about
conservation and wildlife management of these species and their
habitats.

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